Australian universities luring Hong Kong students

Hong students may once again be lured to study in Australia with better exchange rates and surging interest in health degrees.

Reuters: Tyrone Siu

Australian education institutions are moving to lure back Hong Kong students who want to study overseas.

As Hong Kong high school students received their final school marks this week, Australia's universities touted their main attractions to students at a Hong Kong education trade fair.

The past several years have revealed a drop-off in enrolments in Australian institutions from Hong Kong students, due to factors including the higher Australian dollar and strong competition from Britain.

But some hope this trend is being reversed.

Education consultant Willy Kwong, who runs the Hong Kong trade fair that matches students with foreign universities, says several factors are now working in Australia's favour.

"I am a bit more optimistic about this this year, because the exchange rate has eased the industry a lot and the interest in health profession degrees has been surging in the past one to two years," he said.

Part of the reason for that surge includes the Australian Government now offering work visas for international students for several years after they graduate.

Many Australian universities attended the Kong Kong trade fair, where students said they hoped a degree overseas would benefit their careers down the line.

Aiming high

Those institutions competed with British institutions such as the London School of Economics, Kings College and the University of Sussex.

At the fair, Yu Man Fung, 17, says he received school marks good enough to study civil engineering at university and has applied to the University of New South Wales.

"I want to go out to explore the world and trying something that I have never been to, like going to Australia to study so I can learn how to be independent," he said.